Four Unfortunate Souls
by Bitter Rabbit
Summary: An abused kid who serves as the care giver to his little brother, a pessimistic child of the British monarchy, a playboy host who works in a night club and the bartender of a strip joint have all ended up crossing paths and living together.
1. Chapter 1

**Four Unfortunate Souls**

**Ch. 1**

* * *

"So, what are you going to do?" Elizabeth asked a look of concern on her face. "I mean, you're a minor. He can't just kick you out. That's against the law… isn't it?"

"I don't really care," Ciel answered. "I just wanted to tell you so you wouldn't worry about it later."

"But I am worried. Let me talk to Mama. I'm sure she will talk some sense into Uncle Vincent and he'll let you back in—"

"Lizzy," Ciel snapped. Not loudly or all that sternly, but mainly just to cut her sentence short. "I don't care. Really I don't. I'm so sick of living in that house. They're not my family. In that house, I'm seen as a subordinate at best, expected to jump whenever Father says to. I cannot handle him anymore. I'm leaving…"

She took a sip of her milkshake looking worried. "If you run away you won't receive any inheritance money."

"I don't want it. I'd rather be poor than live another day in that house…"

She looked up frowning slightly at the bandage across his eye which was a new change from the last time she had seen him. "Do you think it will ever heal?"

"Probably, who knows."

"You went to the doctor right?" she asked. "What did they say?"

"I didn't go. I left as soon as it happened…"

"Well, it's bleeding isn't it? You should get it looked at at least… I'll call—"

"If I go to the hospital Father will hear about it and I'll just get sent back home. Look, I'm taking the first plane to Japan and that's that. I just wanted to tell you."

"To get on a plane you'll have to use your passport, Uncle Vincent will be able to track you…"

"True, but I intend to lose myself once I get there. I'll come back and see you once I'm eighteen."

"Wha! Eighteen, why so long."

"Because legally I won't be tied to him anymore and it'll be safe for me to come back then," Ciel explained.

"But Ciel… You're only fourteen. You Uncle Vincent will be so worried…"

"You let me worry about him. I'm not going to tell you where in Japan I'll end up so you won't have to lie."

"Don't you think the flight attendants will stop you, being so little and without parents on a plane."

Ciel felt a small stab of annoyance at being called little, but shook it off immediately. "No, my passport has our family crest on it so I'll get on with no difficulty. Father shouldn't catch wind of it until I arrive and by then. I'll use only cash to make sure I get as lost as possible. My test scores should get me into a decent school, and I'll get a job and…"

"And…"

"I'll figure it out from there."

"…" She started to look entirely crestfallen now and Ciel offered her a warm smile. She was one of the only people he would smile to.

"Hey, I'll be fine. It's only about five years and I'll come see you again."

"There isn't anything I can say to talk you out of it?" she asked through tears that were already beginning to form."

He shook his head no and stifling a whimper she flung her arms across the table hugging him. "I'll miss you, and be careful!"

He hugged her back realizing he was hugging the only person he would miss upon leaving his country. They left the ice-cream shop waving goodbye and Ciel hailed a taxi. He had his school uniform and his school back which was filled with the bare essentials. His passport, his plane ticket, only one change of clothes. He couldn't afford to pack anything else because if his Father had noticed when he left for school that morning he would have certainly been in trouble.

The language barrier wouldn't be too much of a problem. He had aced his 600 level Japanese grammar class. So he knew the language pretty well. However, he couldn't deny that what he was doing was scary. Flying off to a foreign country where he knew no one. He had quite a bit of cash on him, but it certainly wouldn't last forever and he would have to use it sparingly until he found a part time job.

Scary… but exciting. Lonely, but daring. He would leave his Phantomhive name behind him and he would never return to life with those underground British thugs.

* * *

"C'mon Luca," Alois said clutching his little brother's hand as they walked through the light snow that had fallen since yesterday.

"I'm cold," Luca whined clutching his brother's hand with both of his for the warmth from them.

"How about we stop and get a hot chocolate? Huh?"

"Yea!" Luca cheered rushing forward a few steps running into the nearest store to them which turned out to be a coffee shop. Alois was sure they would have some regular hot coco in there for children. He followed after his brother reaching in his pocket removing his last bit of Japanese currency. Double checking the price board he would have just enough…

He sat down with Luca in a booth feeling exhausted. They had been on vacation with their father for the last week. Their father was a well-to-do business man. Not rich, but certainly not poor either. He had adopted him and Luca when Luca was just a baby. Alois had thought it wonderful at first that someone was willing to adopt both him and his brother. He had been warned when his parents had died in the car crash that they probably wouldn't find anyone willing to adopt them both.

So when someone finally came along willing to take them both he was very happy. And at first everything had been fine. They had a new mother and a new father. Though their new mother divorced their new dad, and they stayed with him.

That's when things really went bad between Alois and his father. Though he always put up with it. He always endured in silence because he knew being with him meant his brother and he could stay together. He had planned to hold out until he was eighteen. Because then he could assume legal parental rights over his brother and they could leave together.

However just four nights into their week-long vacation here in Japan he showed signs of turning his sick advances towards Luca. Ruffling his hair unnecessarily, placing his hand on the back of his neck when wanting him to look towards him, odd little motions that Alois recognized only too well.

If it were only him, it would be fine. To give Luca a good home and a place they could be together then it was alright… But this… He would die before him let that man lay a hand on his brother, and so he decided to take Luca away before any of those actions could start.

Having already ordered Luca's hot chocolate he sat leaning back staring out the window watching the cars go by driving through the light snow (which had turned to slush on the roads).

"Big brother…"

Alois blinked turning towards him. "Yea what's wrong?"

"It's all gone…" he said showing the bottom of his cup.

"Alright then, let's go…" Alois said getting to his feet.

"Another!"

"No, we have to go…"

"Another!"

"Luca… look I don't have any—"

"Here you are," said a waitress who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She sat down two large milk shakes on the table.

"Huh… we didn't order—"

"Curtsey of that gentlemen over there," she said bowing politely as the Japanese tended to do too often.

He turned noticing a man with a beard. He looked to be in his late thirties and he smiled oddly raising his coffee mug as he to point out for sure where he was.

He wasn't about to stay. He grabbed Luca's hand dragging him away from the milkshake he had already begun to sip. He lead him back out into the street and unfortunately that man had followed.

"Hey wait where are you going, out of the kindess of my heart I buy two lonely children milkshakes and what do I get in return? Run out on…" he said grinning. "The least you could have done was thank me."

"Thank you," Alois snapped before attempting to walk by him, though he blocked the path with a simple side step.

"C'mon kid don't be in such a rush. I'm prepared to offer you the chance of a lifetime…"

"…"

"Come work for me. You'll be paid handsomely," he explained.

"Sorry?"

"Huh…" His eyebrows raised slightly. "Oh, maybe you don't know as much Japanese as I thought you did. Oh well, sometimes the clients prefer it that way. Let's me say this part in English so you understand, _I know quite a number of clients who would pay handsomely for a foreign face like yours._"

"You can't have his face!" Luca snapped suddenly as this was the first line he understood. While Alois have a limited knowledge of Japanese, enough for him to get by in basic conversations, Luca barely knew any.

The man began to laugh, as the boy clearly hand not understood the meaning behind the words and rather took it literally.

"I have no intention of doing anything like that," Alois said in the politest form he knew for speaking and he made to walk by again.

Only this time he was not stopped by the man but rather by a car who seemed to have pulled up next to them from out of the blue. A man stepped out looking rather upset.

"There you two are, your father has been worried sick about you. Get in the car now!"

Alois blinked. He hadn't expected one of his father's lackys to find them so fast.

"But uh…" Alois paused as the man suddenly turned bowing to the guy who had been harassing them.

"Thank you so much Sir for finding them. They're the sons of a visiting diplomat you see and they've been lost for some time. If you wouldn't mind, I'm sure their father will want to pay you handsomely for finding them. If you would, write your name on this check and any other contact information and my boss will be more than happy to pay you for your troubles."

Alois realized it now. He wasn't actually working for their Father he had made up a story to get them away from this guy. The man looked all too eager and stupidly (he handed the new stranger a business card of his).

"Thank you again," the man said and he turned to them. "Come now young masters, please get in the car. Your father awaits…"

"But…" Luca began and Alois grabbed his shoulder. "C'mon we can't keep Dad waiting."

He knew getting into a car with a stranger probably wasn't the best idea but it was either that or remain here with this guy. Alois was going to take the car…

He got Luca into the back and sat in the front while the stranger climbed into the driver's seat. They sped off quickly.

"Thank you…"

"What were you thinking?" the man snapped. "I know you're foreign but don't you know that guy was Yaikozu?"

"Yaikozu?" Alois repeated not understanding the word.

"Thug, ganster, bad man," the man said in English trying to get his point across.

"Oh…" Alois said. "Yea I figured that out fairly quick…"

"Then what were you doing talking to him?" he asked.

"Well… he sort of cornered us. Right Luca…" he turned in his seat to find Luca slumped over lying on the cushions. "Luca…"

He leaned back tapping him. "Luca!"

"Did you accept any food from him?" the stranger asked.

"He tried to give us a milkshake, but only Luca drank some of it."

"Damn…" he snapped. "C'mon. We're going to my place."

"Is he going to be okay."

"Probably. He was most likely drugged. He didn't drink much did he?"

"No, he just had a few sips before I pulled him away…"

"It'll be okay then. He should be fine."

"Should be!" Alois snapped.

"Well, I mean. Unless he's allergic to it or something..."

Alois leaned back in his chair looking slightly paniced.

"Hey, it'll be alright," he explained. "My name is Claude. I deal with this sort of stuff all the time."

Alois looked over at him glaring. "You deal with drugged people all the time…"

That sure didn't make him sound too good.

"Yes, I work at a strip club. This happens occasionally. It's no big deal."

"No big deal!" Alois snapped not realizing he had suddenly reverted to english. "No big deal! Tell me that when it's _your_ little brother!"

"Calm down," Claude sighed.

Alois eyed him for a moment. "You don't look like a stripper..."

"I'm a bartender there," he snapped back annoyed.

* * *

Sebastian smiled calmly at his date as she scooted closer to him. "Honey, do you love me?"

"Of course," he answered stroking her hair as her head rested on his shoulder.

"How much?"

"More than life itself…"

He reached his hand out tilting her face up to meet his as he leaned in for a kiss. Suddenly his watch alarm went off and he pulled back. "And now I'm off to love someone else."

He jumped to his feet climbing off the hood of her car. "Oh… Sebastian… I was in the moment and we hadn't even gotten to the good part yet!"

"Sorry, you only paid for an hour of my company, thus that's all you get. C'mon, I'll drive you home…"

"Ugh, c'mon I didn't get paid this week. I'm really missing my boyfriend right now. Can't we just pretend a little bit longer?"

"Not unless you got something more to pay me than just your good looks," he explained. "C'mon I'll take us back."

"How about I give you five dollars for a picture. Something I can show my X so he'll be incredibly jealous…"

"Alright," Sebastian said. She climbed into the passenger seat aiming her phone camera at the two of them snapping a picture, and just as she did Sebastian leaned in kissing her cheek softly making her blush.

"That should make for an instant make your boyfriend jealous picture huh Marielle?"

"Oh yes," she said handing him the five dollars. "I'm going to send this to him now…"

Sebastian started driving them back to where she had picked him up. Sebastian didn't have a car of his own so he had to bum rides off of the girls he played host for. He didn't make much money as he didn't work for a professional hosting company or anything but he planned to someday…

* * *

Alois went with this stranger back to the strip club where he worked. There was an upstairs apartment where he apparently stayed. They had to walk down a rather creepy hallway that had brick walls. It was almost as if this hall was built between two existing buildings and no one had bothered to furnish the walls. It smelled moldy and didn't look very nice from the walk up. Though once they got to the top and were actually inside it wasn't half bad…

The place was furnished at least. Mismatched furniture kinda like what they had at their father's apartment though his place was much larger. The furniture itself looked kinda old but that made it have a lived in feel. There was a tv that was quite small compared to the Tv's one would see nowadays. It was old too because it wasn't even a flat screen. There was a door just to the left of the living room and a small hallway to the right which seemed to lead to however many other rooms there were. He wasn't about to go wandering down them to check.

There was rather tiny kitchen area and from what it seemed. No dining room. Or perhaps they had just combined the dining room into the living room in order to make the living room seem bigger. Now he thought he was just overthinking it. All in all, it wasn't as bad as he was expecting. Or at least from what the hallway had lead him to believe.

Claude had carried Luca, whom he laid on one of the sofas softly. Alois immediately sat on the floor next to him looking concerned.

"You want something to drink?" he asked.

"Uh, no thank you," Alois said considering they were here because of a drink from a stranger, he would pass.

Claude headed off to the tiny kitchen as Alois scooted closer to his brother feeling his forehead. No fever. No flush to his cheeks. It seemed he really was just asleep. He leaned back relieved as Claude came around the sofa corner holding out a water bottle to him. "You can check the seal it hasn't been opened."

"Oh... Thanks," he said taking it.

An awkward silence followed as Claude sat on an armchair nearby and Alois stared at the water label for an unnecessarily long time.

"So… um… where you stayin', when he wakes up I'll drop you off," Claude said.

"…"

"It's no trouble really," Claude explained taking his silence for hesitation.

"No, it's not that. We're not staying anywhere at the moment. When he wakes up we'll go to a hotel or something. Thanks for all your help."

"…"

Claude sighed. Well he couldn't really just let them leave out into the snow without knowing if they'd have a proper place to stay. As annoying as it was being intruded upon by these two that thought alone would be even more annoying. He sighed. "You can stay here until you find a place to stay."

"Uh… No we couldn't…" Alois said looking slightly embarrassed.

"It's fine," he said. "I have a roommate though so you'll have to sleep in the living room. I have some extra futons for when company comes over so you two can sleep on them."

"Oh no. It's okay…"

"Stop arguing and help me get them…"

Alois' face was flushed slightly from being denied his refusal be he got to his feet none the less and followed Claude down the hall to a closet door where he handed Alois two blankets. He paused after he placed them in his arms looking at the guys' face. It got slightly redder from being stared and and Claude almost felt himself smile at the sight but he quickly recovered from it. He had been caught up in the beautiful light blue eyes that the kid had. It was such a rare sight in Japan. "Are you eighteen?" he asked as he looked for the spare pillows.

"Uh… yes."

_Liar_, Claude thought immediately staring back at him. This time he stared at him on purpose. He stared with interrogating eyes. The kid's face got redder and brighter and finally he buried his face in the blankets he was holding. "Okay no I'm not…"

"There we go," Claude said. "Don't it feel better to tell the truth?"

"Ugh…"

He placed two pillows on top of the blankets and then reached down grabbing the futons. They went into the living room where they moved the kotatsu to the side and rolled out the futons.

"So," Claude said as he smoothed out the blanket. "Wanna tell me your real age."

"…Sixteen…"

"Did you run away from home or what?"

"Something like that…"

"I'm sure it's not that bad. If you want I can call your parents tomorrow and smooth over whatever fight you've had."

"No!" Alois snapped quickly. "No… I'll figure something out later…"

"How about I drive you two back to your parent's tomorrow huh?"

"…sure okay…" Alois answered, though he was already making plans to not be here when Claude woke up.

"Alright then… Get some sleep. The little one should be well rested by tomorrow so..."

"…"

Claude headed towards the hallway but stopped before rounding the corner. He turned back. "You going to tell me your name?"

Alois felt his face get red again. "Oh sorry," he said laughing slightly. "I'm Alois and this is my brother Luka."

"Ah, well goodnight Alois…"

"Goodnight."

The man went around the corner and Alois picked Luka up setting him on the nearest futon before he covered him up with the blanked. Alois decided to stay up. He would wait a few hours to see if Luka would wake up. Then they would leave together. Claude was a nice man but he couldn't let him take them back to their father. Besides, knowing their dad he had probably called the police by now. So they would be looking for them as well.

He didn't know what he would do if they got caught…

* * *

Japan was certainly a busy place. Ciel got there at about three in the morning and called a cab where he went straight to a hotel for the night. He was feeling nervous. It really wouldn't take much for his family to learn he had gone to Japan. However he had an idea. It wasn't a really good one but it was the best he could do.

He put on some gloves and grabbed all his valuables, his ID, his debit card (which was linked to the families account, all other means of identifying himself, and he placed them in different boxes which had no return address. However he was sending them to random addresses in random countries. Places like Germany, China, etc. Why these places? Why anywhere else. It didn't really matter where it was sent…

He just hoped some unsavory people would open them. Someone who would try to sell his Id, better yet, someone who would use his debit card. It wasn't often one hoped for identity theft, but he was. He would likely send someone to Japan first and upon receiving word his card was being used in Germany he would go there next. Hopefully someone would sell his ID to some unlucky family who might have a son who looks like him. Upon receiving word that his ID was shown where else he'd have to investigate that next. Hopefully the other few pieces of identification would call his attention in some way. His father wasn't a stupid man, he would have his men back searching in Japan soon after. However it might by him some time. Until then he could assume a new identity. Make a fake ID things like that. He was rather good with computers so it wouldn't be too hard.

One thing he would have to do was change his appearance someone. A realistic wig, and some color contacts would do the trick. A new name too…

The following morning he checked out of the hotel (he had paid in cash so there was no ID to link him there) and he went to the library where he started looking up new names he could use. After a few hours of searching he came up with nothing. Finally deciding on just having the Japanese pronunciation of his own name. Thankfully L's were pronounced funny in by native Japanese speakers. So his name; Ciel, sounded quite different in Japanese. For in Japanese it would be pronounced Shieru, and spelled シエル.

He had another thing going for him. His Father had never bothered to learn Japanese. So any research he would try to do on his own would be futile. However, that wasn't going to stop him from hiring someone to look for him.

After the library he went to a wig place and got himself a wig that had a very common Japanese haircut and then he went to a place that sold eye contacts. This was a bit more tricky as most of them had something to do with anime. So much of the contacts sold were odd colors like red or pink or something that made your eyes look like a cat's eye. At last he found container of basic brown contacts. After buying them and he put one in (what was currently) his only good eye and then he headed to the nearest mirror he could find.

He really did look quite different. Though he still looked foreign, but that couldn't be helped. As much as he wanted to not be found by his father, he still wasn't willing to go through something like plastic surgery.

Now what…

He found himself pondering this question as he walked the streets of Japan. He would probably go to a non-popular city. Places like Tokyo weren't going to cut it and that was where he was currently. So he bought a bus card and put the equivalent of fifty dollars on it and he spent over half a day riding one bus and then another, and another. Not once looking at the maps to see where they were headed.

About seven o'clock that night he disembarked his final bus and decided he would try to make a home in this place. A little city called 花市 (Hana-shi).

* * *

"Yo!" Sebastian called walking in to his apartment. Claude was in the kitchen making some toast.

"You didn't even come home last night. Where have you been?"

"Oh here… and there…" Sebastian said grinning. "I brought home some food and—"

He noticed the futons on the floor. "Oh, do we have company."

"We did," Claude said. "But the little brats escaped this morning."

"Escaped?" Sebastian eyed him. "You haven't taken the habit of kidnapping children now have you…"

"Of course not. They were runaways. I helped them out of a tough spot and I said I would take them back to their parents in the morning, but they were gone when I woke up so..."

"Oh well," Sebastian said seating himself on the sofa. "I'm sure they're fine. They've probably already gone home…"

"Maybe…" Claude shrugged.

"C'mon over and eat some of this—"

Suddenly the lights in their apartment shut off. Leaving them in near total darkness.

"Did you pay the electric bill?" Sebastian asked.

"It was your month to pay…" Claude snapped back feeling his way to grab some flash lights.

"No it was yours. I just paid," Sebastian exclaimed taking the flashlight Claude handed him.

"Whatever, we'll worry about it later come and eat…"

The two ended up having dinner by flashlight arguing the whole time about whose month it had been.

* * *

Ciel wasn't exactly sure how this had happened. However, the following afternoon he was seated on bench outside in the snow, his hands handcuffed together a police officer trying to find his information. Seated beside him. A rather irate looking blonde kid. Also handcuffed.

It had actually all been rather strange. He had been walking by the blonde kid and his little brother. Simply walking. Out of nowhere a cop car pulled up. Immediately the blonde kid started running with his little brother in tow. Ciel had been quite certain his father couldn't have notified the Japanese police this quickly so he had not run. However because all three of them were foreign they had all been taken and handcuffed awaiting identification. They didn't have a pair of handcuffs that would fit the littlest kid so they had stuck him in the back of the cop car.

"I didn't do anything!" the blonde kid snapped.

"We'll decide that!" snapped the officer before returning to talk on his radio.

"Just be quiet," Ciel sighed quite annoyed with him.

One of the officers walked over to them. "So you brats think you can come to our country and rob our convenience stores huh?"

"What!?" Alois snapped. "I have never stolen a thing in my life!"

"A blond foreigner just robbed one of our stores. Now how many blond people do you think live around here?"

"I don't know, why don't you go do your job and find out!" Alois snapped furiously.

"Calm down kid," Ciel said calmly noticing the look of anger on the officer's face.

"You are going to jail for robbery and you were clearly his accomplice," he pointed at Ciel.

"No Sir, I was just walking by him," Ciel explained.

"Not many foreigners visit this part of Japan kid," the man snapped folding his arms. "Even if you deny it I know you're all together. I want your ID cards now!"

"I have no ID," Ciel and Alois said at the same time before they glanced at each other.

"No ID's, hump…" he scoffed turning away he headed back to talk to his partner.

Ciel turned to the blond speaking in English. "_Will you keep your temper down, you're only going to make this worse for us!_"

"_This guy is just a racist prick_," Alois snapped.

"_Well you're temper isn't going to help any. So cool it!_"

"HEY!" the officer suddenly snapped. He stopped his way back over to them. "If you're going to speak, use Japanese. You're in our country now!"

Ciel turned to him using an appropriately polite form he apologized.

* * *

Claude and Sebastian (having one of their first days off in who remembers how long) were out restocking on groceries for the apartment they shared. They had a little money left so it was food buying time. Neither of them had enough to pay the electric bill that month so they were just going to have to wait until next month.

The store wasn't that far away so they walked instead of taking Claude's car. On their way home they noticed a crowd gathered. Curious as to the commotion they wandered over and Claude's eyebrows raised in surprise. It was those kids from before. Well there was another one with them today but he was sure it was them.

"The blond and the kid in the cop car," Claude said pointing them out. "Those were the kids I was telling you about. The one who were staying with us."

"Really…" Sebastian stared. "Well they're in some kind of trouble now. I wonder what they did."

They moved a little closer so they could hear what was going on.

"Well that's a little better!" snapped the cop. "Stand up I need to check your pockets."

_Shit_, Ciel thought immediately. Here he was with a good 7,000 British pounds in his pocket (Roughly 10,000 dollars). He hadn't had time to exchange it yet nor find a safe place to keep it. (It wasn't like he could just open up a bank account without an ID). And it wasn't like no one was going to question the amount of money he had either…

"You first, turn around and put your hands behind your head," he said to Alois. Who furiously did as he was told. His hands still handcuffed he placed them behind his head.

"Before I search your pockets, is there anything you wanna tell me about what I might find?"

Alois had begun to open his mouth but shut it at the look on Ciel's face. He had been about to make some snide remark for sure…

"No officer Tagawa."

With that the man emptied his pockets removing the equivalent of 20 dollars only in Japanese currency as well as a pack of gum.

"Alright sit down," the man said disappointed.

"You," he said turning to Ciel. "Stand up and do the same."

Ciel did. Hoping against hope he would not look for an inside coat pocket. If he did… He was screwed.

He placed his cuffed hands on the back of his head as Alois had done.

"Do you have anything in your pockets that I should know about?" he snapped.

"No officier Tagawa."

With that he began to search him, and just his luck the third placed he checked was the inside coat pocket. He seemed to have felt it but didn't mention it at first. "Alright people move along there is nothing to see here."

He quickly began shooing away the crowed, and for the most part they departed. While Claude and Sebastian had made motions like they were preparing to leave they stayed. Sebastian even dropping his back on purpose so they would have to stay for a few extra minutes to pick it up.

He walked back over to Ciel grabbing the chain on his and cuffs and forcing his hands high above his head. He was lifting them so high Ciel had to stand on his toes to stop from falling over. With that the cop reached in pulling out the cash. "Just as I thought, look at this. How do you have so much money on you?"

"Hey stop it, you're hurting him," Alois snapped.

"Shut up. You gaikoku-jin are in a lot of trouble. Here's what I see happened. Your little blonde friend stole this money from the convenience store and handed it off to you as we showed up. Is that right?"

He lifted the chain a little higher and Ciel winced. It felt like his wrists were going to be pulled off his arms.

"Um…"

It was the first time Alois had noticed Claude and a new guy standing there. He buried his face in his hands. As if this could get any worse…

"I don't mean to interrupt officer," Claude explained. "No shop in a little city like Hana-shi is going to carry foreign currency especially not that much."

The officer scoffed. Letting Ciel down he walked over to Claude and Sebastian. "Do you know these kids or something?"

"Yes," Sebastian said. "They're staying with us. All three of them."

"Oh, how do you know them exactly?" he snapped.

"They're my brother's children," Sebastian said. "By marriage."

He added the last part after the officer's' eyeing look.

"C'mon, how many foreigners do you know come here speaking near fluent Japanese. They learned it from their father by marriage, my brother. Now if you don't mind we'll be taking them—"

"Hold on just a minute. My other partner should be here any moment with the shop keeper. If she says it wasn't them they can go."

Almost as if fate was listening the cop car pulled up. "Here they are now."

The third officer got out opening the door for a little old Japanese woman with a cane.

Officer Tagawa walked over to her, "Good day ma'am, I have the culprits right here. Come and look at this blond child. Was this the guy who robbed your store?"

She walked over looking at Alois from behind her large spectacles. "Hhmm… Nope."

"Wha!" the cop gasped. "Are you sure. Completely sure?"

"The culprit was blond and foreign. But he was much older than this kid, and he had a beard and mustache too…"

The cop's face went red with was they could only assume was anger. He turned around. "Alright… alright… You're free to go."

He walked over uncuffing Alois and they let Luka out of the cop car who ran to Alois immediately. Officier Tagawa walked up to Ciel undoing his handcuffs as well. "I'll be keeping the currency of course since you clearly got it illegally. No kid would have that much money on them otherwise."

"He you can't do that!" Sebastian snapped looking pissed.

"It's fine," Ciel said and again in polite speech he added, "Please take it, have a good day officers."

Unfortunately, to keep the money there would be a scene. They would have to contact his parents confirm the money was theirs and they he would be picked up by his Dad and shipped back home in no time. He couldn't have that. Though now he was in a bind. He had absolutely no money at all…

Grinning the cop turned back to his partner stuffing the money in his pocket. The old lady was given a ride by the other back to the shop and Ciel rubbed his wrists as the cop cars drove off.

"Dirty cops, damn…" Sebastian cursed.

"Are you all alright?" Claude asked.

"Uh, yeah," Alois said smiling. "Thanks for helping us and everything, and sorry about leaving so suddenly yesterday… but uh…"

"There is still room at our apartment if you'd like to crash there again," Claude said smiling. He turned to Ciel. "Who is your friend?"

"Actually I just met him too. What was your name again?" Alois asked smiling.

"Shieru," Ciel said.

"Nice to meet you," Alois said smiling.

"Bye," Ciel said turning to leave.

"Wait kid, you can come over too if you want," Sebastian said. He held up his grocery bag with one finger. "We got food."

"No thank you," Ciel said.

Looking slightly annoyed Alois hurried forward grabbing his arm and pulling him back to them. "Shieru would love to come eat with us. He's just too shy to say so."

"What? I am not let go of my arm!"

"C'mon let's go eat!" Alois said cheering keeping a firm grasp on Ciel's sleeve as the five of them walked towards Claude and Sebastian's apartment.

* * *

He wasn't sure (yet again) how this had happened. He was sitting under a kotatsu with two men named Sebastian and Claude, and a blonde haired kid and his brother. Not to mention he was eating their food.

"Thanks again Claude," Alois said.

"It's fine, but I thought you had headed home."

"Oh, well… that's a little…" he stopped suddenly turning to Ciel. "So what happened to your eye?"

Ciel blinked he reached up touching the bandage softly. "It's nothing."

"Nothing? Did you get hit in the eye with a baseball?"

"No."

"When is the last time you changed the bandage?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't remember," Ciel explained dully taking another bite of his food. For a foreigner Sebastian was mildly impressed by how easily he used chopsticks.

"Well that's no good. C'mon I'll change it for you," Sebastian said preparing to get up.

"It's fine really, it doesn't even hurt anymore," Ciel explained. This was a lie. He just didn't want to be fussed over.

"When did you do it?"

"A few days ago…"

"And you haven't changed it since then! C'mon, no arguments. We're going to the bathroom now," Sebastian said getting to his feet he reached down grabbing Ciel's arm.

"No way! I'm fine," he exclaimed even as he was pulled to his feet and lightly shuffled off to the bathroom despite his protests.

Sebastian had him sit on the toilet seat while he got the first aid kit out. "So how did it happen?"

"…"

"Not in a sharing mood today then?" he asked. He took out the scissor and cut the bandage he had there off which revealed a square bandaged that had been tapped directly over the eye socket. Though he noticed something else…

He reached up pushing his fingers under the wig he pulled it off his head.

"Wha! Give that back!" Ciel snapped.

"You're wearing colored contacts too. Do you not like your looks or something?" he asked.

"It's none of your business!" Ciel snapped grabbing his wig back holding it in his hands.

"Sorry… I just thought I could help," he said. He reached up slowly pulling of the square patch. The eye itself was slightly bruised around it. "Open."

Sighing Ciel opened his eye. This was the moment he had been dreading. He didn't know if he would be blind or if his vision would be impaired. He had been putting it off to be honest. Not wanting to know.

Though when it opened, everything was fuzzy, but he could at least see a little. It hurt to move his eye and he blinked a few times before wincing. He turned his head away only to feel Sebastian's hand tilt his face back so he could examine it closer.

"Hhmm… It looks like your eye was cut. It's all red. Though…" his face got closer and in the same instance Ciel made to move back only to have Sebastian's other hand cup the back of his head preventing this. "I must say that is the most beautiful blue eye I have ever seen. Why are you wearing a contact on your good one? It's so pretty…"

"I said It's none of your business alright!" Ciel snapped pushing his hands away.

"Okay, okay…" Sebastian sighed. He got out a new square bandage and lightly placed it over the eye before wrapping a larger bandage around his head to hold the smaller in place. "There you go, all done."

"…thanks…"

Ciel got to his feet and was about to walk out when Sebastian said. "You know, wearing colored contacts all the time will be bad for your eyesight. You should take them out when you're in a house even if you want to wear it in public."

"…"

He reached in his pocket removing the case placing the contact back in it. He turned to Sebastian his large cerulean blue eye blinking. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Sebastian said grinning.

When Ciel walked back into the living room Luka looked up at him blinking. "_Who's the new boy?_"

"Uh… Shieru?" Alois said eyeing him.

"Don't worry about it," he said sitting back down looking sort of gloomy.

Sebastian tapped Claude on the shoulder and motioned him to the kitchen. "Are we going to get these kids back to their house or what?"

"I don't think so…" Claude explained looking over at them. Luka had launched into a story about their last family vacation.

"They're not cats Claude? We can't just pick up kids off the street and keep them."

"Clearly they don't want to go home. Alois and Luca seem to be hiding from their family, and that new kid went so far as having a disguise, plus do you remember how much money he had on him? Clearly they're hiding from something. Before we do anything we should figure out why they don't want to return home."

Sebastian smiled. "Alright," he walked over to the boys. "Hide and seek time. Luka go hide."

The boy's face lit up and he happily hurried off down the hall.

"Luka, wait!" Alois said about to get to his feet.

"You two stay put," Sebastian said plopping onto the sofa. "Now we need to know where you kids are from and why you apparently don't want to go home."

"Uh… that's…" Alois began.

"Or we can take all three of you to the police station right now and they can sort it out," Sebastian said shrugging.

"NO!" Ciel and Alois said at the same time before glancing at each other.

"Well then," he said grinning loosening his tie. "Start talking."

Alois felt his stomach think. How do you talk to complete strangers about something like this? "Uh… Look… let's just say my father isn't a very nice man. I… I can't go back to him…"

Claude was leaning against the back of the sofa his arms crossed his eyes glaring. There was something about this man's stare. He didn't seem able to hide anything from him. Alois turned away from them looking down at his plate.

"Look, we might be willing to let you hide out here. However if the cops ever ask us why we let two minors live with us rather than contacting the police we're going to need more to tell them than 'their father wasn't a very nice man,' get it?"

Claude was already suspecting what he meant. Though if they were going to be of any help they had to know the whole story, one person's definition of 'not a nice man,' could very well be completely different from another's. They would be in a lot of trouble for taken in some kids who had a simple argument with their dad and ran away.

Alois felt terribly embarrassed. He really didn't want to go into details on it. Though, he knew one way he wouldn't have to. "Like I said," he said softly rolling back his sleeves revealing his bruised and rope burned wrists. "He's not a nice man…"

There was short silence, as they seemed to take in the information. No one said anything until they heard Luka calling. "Are you looking for me!?"

"We're looking, you're really good at hiding Luka," Sebastian called to him. They heard a self-approved giggle from the back room before it went silent again. Alois pulled his sleeves back over his wrists avoiding everyone's gaze, all the while feeling his face burning with embarrassment.

Sebastian turned to Ciel, "You have to either be able to meet or top that one to stay here."

Claude lightly hit him over the head. "Shieru, why are you running away?"

"Who said I'm running? I got dragged here," he explained getting to his feet. "I'm leaving."

He was headed to the door when Sebastian grabbed his wig from his hand. "If you're not running away why do you have a wig and contact to make your eyes a different color. Clearly you don't want to be found by someone…"

"Give it back!" Ciel snapped reaching for it as Sebastian held it out of his reach.

"I mean it! How old are you!?" Ciel snapped furiously.

"Older than you, you can't even reach this," Sebastian teased holding him back.

Annoyed Claude grabbed the wig from him handing it back to Ciel. "Seriously, why don't you want to go back to your home?"

"…tsk… My family annoys me. What more reason do I need?"

"Was your family the ones who did that to you?" Claude asked pointing to the bandage on his eye.

Ciel scoffed looking away but not denying it either.

"Well then, it can't be helped… You three are staying here."

"No I'm not!" Ciel snapped.

"I'll grab him another futon," Sebastian said getting to his feet heading to the hall closet.

"I said I'm not staying here!" Ciel snapped thoroughly annoyed.

Sebastian walked back in the living room throwing a blanket at him which Ciel caught. "I said I'm not—."

He walked by ruffling Ciel's hair, "Calm down, it's alright. Just stay here for a while."

He moved the kotatsu and laid out the futon before he looked back up at him. "Besides, where else can you go?"

"…" Ciel had no answer for that. He had nowhere else to go…

"Are you looking!?" Luka called.

"Yes Luka," Alois called heading down the hall. "I think I'm getting closer now… Where could you be?"

After they had found Luka, Claude decided it was time for bed. The sun was going down anyway and they had no electricity so there wasn't much else to do but go to sleep. Claude and Sebastian waited awhile for the kids to go to sleep before heading to kitchen to talk.

"Are you sure you want to take them in?" Claude asked.

"Well, we'd be assholes if we didn't," Sebastian said grinning.

"Well then, adding three new people to our budget isn't going to be easy…" Claude explained.

"I'll take my hosting a step further," Sebastian said. "I have a few clients I can call up who pay well. Grell was always my best customer. So I'll just go hang out with him for a time. You gonna pick up extra shifts at the club?"

"I'll have to," he said. He had taken out a scrap piece of paper to try and figure some of his expenses. "We might have to sell my car and just take the bus."

"Ugh I hate the bus…" Sebastian sighed.

"How much do you make anyway?"

"Sixty dollars to make out for one hour. Depending on what more they want to do the price goes up from there."

"Hhmm… You'd have to have a whole lot of clients for us to make ends meet with my budget and yours."

"It'll work out. Until morning then," Sebastian said turning to head to his room.

"It's nice you can be so carefree and not worry about anything but we have more to pay for than just feeding them…"

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked.

"They're not cats Sebastian, feeding them isn't enough. We'll have to by them clothes and not to mention enroll them in school. It's against the law so we can't exactly not have them going to school."

"If they go to school we'll have to give them a fake names so their families don't find them," Sebastian pointed out.

Claude frowned.

"C'mon, what's life without a little excitement?" Sebastian asked grinning. "So, what do you want to name them?"

"…I think you may really think they're cats…" Claude said eyeing him.

"No, I mean, if they're going to need false names then why can't we name them?" he asked.

"Don't you think they should pick names for themselves?" he asked glaring. Though Sebastian couldn't see in the dark.

"That's no fun."

Claude shook his head. "We'll figure this out in the morning."

"Yeah, goodnight," Sebastian said heading to his room.

Ciel and Alois unbeknownst to the other two they had been awake, though neither of them said anything to each other.

Come morning they woke up noticing a note on the floor before the three of them. Alois reached out grabbing hold of it. In a sleepy voice he read.

"We had to go to work, help yourselves to anything in the fridge. Please don't leave. I'm just downstairs if there is an emergency. I'll be back up on my break around one. Claude."

Ciel rubbed his eye looking down at his watch. It was eight in the morning. He sat up getting to his feet.

"Where are you goin?" Alois asked groggily.

"Leaving."

"After they agreed to let us stay?" he asked sitting up.

"You heard them didn't you? Imagine how much it's going to cost them if we live here."

"Well we can't really go anywhere else. I don't have any place to go. Do you?"

"…"

"Thought so," Alois said. "Let's make the best of it huh?"

"We should get jobs and help them out since we're inconveniencing them like this…"

"What kind of jobs are we going to be able to get that's going to pay anything close to what they need to help them out?" Alois asked. It was true. A minimum wage job wasn't going to cut it if they we're going to actually be helpful.

Ciel was trying to ponder it when suddenly he heard some giggling and the front door opened. Three women walked in laughing and chattering happily. It was so odd just seeing three people enter the apartment that for a moment they didn't say anything at all. Just started. The situation was made all the strangers by the way the woman were dressed. Short skirts. Tall boots. Fish net. Tight pants. Etc. It was odd to see them dressed this way especially since it was winter time.

"Bassey-kun! Clau-kun!" whined one of the women coming into the living room. She stopped at the sight of them.

"…Who are you?"

"…" Ciel blinked. He wasn't sure what to say. Introductions seemed so odd for this situation. He settled with answering her question with another question. "Who are you?"

"How rude! We're Sebastian-kun and Claude-kun's friends. Now who are you?"

"Um…"

"Aw, they're so cute!" screeched one of the other girls hurrying over. "Look at the little foreign kids…"

"Let me look at your eye," said one girl who walked up to Ciel getting uncomfortably close. So much so that he actually back up. "It's so blue! It's not a contact is it!?"

"I wanna feel your hair," said another to Alois reaching out she ran her fingers through his blonde strands. "Wha! It's so soft!"

The quizzical one who looked the meanest and the rudest snapped suddenly. "Girls!"

Like robots the other two jumped to attention. All three of them were as Chinese as you come and with dark black hair. "They must be thieves! Why else would there be three foreign kids in our dear lovers' rooms."

"Thieves!" the two other girls gasp. "Eek! Let's call the police!"

"I got a better idea," the leader chimed. "Grab them girls, we're taking them downstairs!"

Almost as if this were some kind of fun game for them the girls obnoxiously woke Luka up and forced them all shuffling down the danky hallway and through a side door into the strip club. It currently wasn't open because it was early. Shoved and prodded the three of them were brought in there.

"Stop shoving," Alois snapped. The girls clearly were messing with them because if they had truly believed they were thieves they would have just called the police.

"Claude!" called the leader to the man behind the counter with their back to them.

He turned and sighed at the sight. "What are you girls doing?"

"We found these gaikokujin thieves in your apartment. What should we do with them?" she asked in the loudest teasing voice she could.

"They're not thieves they're our guests. Please leave them alone."

"If they're not thieves then why are they in your apartment? Does Sebby-kun know about this?"

"Of course he does," Claude said he walked around the counter. "You guys hungry? I'll give you some money and you can go to a restaurant nearby."

"I'm fine," Alois said nervously. Ciel seemed to silently agree.

"Seriously, Clau-kun who are they!?"

"They're some friends who will be staying with us for a while, so once again I'll have to ask that you don't bother them too much."

"Well, friends of Clau-kun are friends of ours," the leader said happily.

_We sure weren't a few minutes ago_, Ciel found himself thinking quite annoyed with the whole situation.

"I'm Bao-sama," the leader said cockily. Using a suffix with your own name was something you clearly didn't do in the Japanese language. But she was full of herself enough to do so, or maybe she wasn't as well versed in the language as she sounded. For a Chinese girl she spoke Japanese well.

"These are my back up girls. Feng-chan and Hui-chan."

The two girls hurried forward. "I've never seen a foreigner up close before. What shampoo do you use?"

"I just adore your eyes… I can hardly believe they're real."

"Look at this little one, isn't he just the cutest!" Hui-chan reached out petting Luka like he was a puppy. "Aw, his hair is so soft too!"

"Girls would you stop," Claude said looking rather annoyed now.

Suddenly the front doors opened and a Chinese man walked in with a Chinese girl who seemed permanently glued to his side.

The girls spun around smiling suddenly. "_Papa-sama_!"

They hurried over to him fawning over him like he was a celebrity.

Luka looked thoroughly confused as his knowledge of Japanese was extremely limited. However the girls had said the word Papa in English and he pulled on Alois' sleeve. "He's they're Papa? They're too old though."

The Chinese man walked in. "Ah, girls. Please there is no need for all this."

He walked over to Claude. "How is the cleaning coming?"

"Fine," Claude answered.

"And… oh my… who are they?"

"Lau-san, these kids are staying with us for a while. Guys, this is my boss Lau-san," Claude said. "He owns this club."

"My we don't usually let's boys in here who aren't customers but for three boys as cute as you three I'll make an exception. Right Ran Mao. Don't you think they're cute?"

The girl at his side nodded in silence.

"By the way Claude, sorry about your electricity, but it you don't pay you can't expect to enjoy now can you?"

"About that that. I wanted to ask if I could work here for free until you felt it was enough to pay you back for that."

"For free? Well I suppose that can be arranged. I'll do it and turn your apartment's electricity back on today."

"Wait… You're going to work for free here?" Alois asked looking slightly worried.

"Just until my bill is paid. Don't worry about it," Claude said.

"But…"

Claude reached in his pocket handing Alois some money. "The three of you should go get a bite to eat, but don't wander off too far okay."

"Claude…"

Not wanting to stay anymore with the crazy Chinese girls staring at him Ciel immediately turned heading for the door and reluctantly Alois and Luka followed. Though they didn't go somewhere to eat, instead they went back upstairs.

"Aren't we getting breakfast?" Luka asked frowning slightly.

"Not right now Luka," Alois explained. "Ciel…"

He kept walking and didn't stop until the second time Alois called his name. He turned then to find Alois halfway up the stairs. "We're gonna have to do something…"

"I know," Ciel said before heading up the last few steps.

They walked into the apartment and Alois immediately headed to the fridge opening up the freezer and he grabbed and ice-cream bar which he handed to Luca. Happily he laid down on his futon eating while staring over at Alois who sat with Ciel to talk.

"Do you have any money on you at all?" Ciel asked.

"Not really, I used the last of it the other day. You?"

"No, that cop took everything I had," Ciel sighed.

"I guess there are dirty cops in every country," Alois said shrugging.

"We need a computer…" Ciel said.

"A computer? For what?"

"If we had a computer we could do homeschooling. Then we won't have to rick going out in public and being spotted. Then we could also get jobs. The best jobs would be during school hours anyway."

"Maybe we could be waiters," Alois suggested.

"Minimum wage here is 652 yen as I recall. Though last I checked the job market even for part time work was scarce…" Ciel said pondering. He shook his head.

If we're going to stay here we should help with have the apartment expenses. You and I will split the half. Then we'll each pay for our own educational expenses. I'm not sure how much homeschooling is in Japan but…"

"I think it's free," Alois pointed out. "You just have to buy books and stuff."

"Alright then, do you want to split Luka's expenses?" he asked. Ciel was willing to do it if he wanted but Alois immediately shook his head no.

"Thanks for the offer, but he's my brother I'll pay for him."

"Alright then, well. Any other expenses involving us we'll pay for ourselves so as to burned them as little as possible. I'll buy us a computer for our homeschooling since you have the expenses with Luka."

"No… I can—."

"Don't argue," Ciel said putting his hands in his pocket he got up to head to the fridge. "It's already been decided."

"Should I go get a paper?" Alois asked.

"Yeah if you want," Ciel answered grabbing a water from the fridge.

He went to get one immediately and Ciel sat down on the sofa. He was honestly happy to have found a place to stay, but he wasn't going to be a freeloader either. If he couldn't help out he didn't want to stay here. He had too much pride to do that.

* * *

After looking into it. They would have had to pick up three possibly four different part-time jobs to make the kind of money they needed.

"Damn how do people make enough money to survive in this world?" Alois asked tossing the paper aside after it proved completely useless.

"Because most people are well educated and have very high paying jobs," Ciel explained.

"Well as soon as I get my high school degree I'm going to get me a really good job and make so much money that I'll have maids and servants at my house to cook and clean for me," Alois said. He turned to Luka smiling. "Would you like that?"

"If I was rich I would buy one hundred puppies," Luka said smiling.

"Well, if I get rich I'll buy you one… maybe two," Alois said grinning.

"When we go home we could just ask Daddy to buy us one."

Ciel who had been pondering their money problems quickly glared in Alois' direction.

"Maybe we will…" Alois said nervously.

"Luka let's play hide and seek. Go hide," Ciel said immediately.

Excitedly Luka jumped up taking off down the hall once again. Ciel turned to Alois. "You haven't told him?"

"Tell him what?" Alois asked even though he knew very well what he meant.

"You didn't tell him you're not going back?"

"Well," Alois said nervously. "What exactly am I supposed to say? I just told him we were going to have fun just the two of us, a brother's vacation."

"You have to tell him," Ciel glared over at him eyebrows raised.

"Are you looking?!" called Luka's little voice.

"Yes," Alois called back before turning back to Ciel.

"I can't tell him! He's a kid. He'd be traumatized if I explained what went on…" Alois just imagined the look on Luka's face after explaining exactly why they can't go back home.

"Well if you're not going to tell him I am," Ciel got to his feet.

"Wha, wait Ciel!" Alois gasped jumping up too. "You can't!"

"He has to find out sooner or later and it's better sooner rather than later," Ciel said and he started walking back to where Luka went to hide.

"Ciel, don't!" Alois begged hurrying after him.

Ciel went straight into the bathroom opening the cupboard below the sink where he knew Luka was because of all the giggling he was doing. "You found me!" he cheered.

"Yeah…" Ciel said. "Luka come here, Alois has something to tell you."

"…"

"We're not playing anymore?" Luka asked frowning.

"No…" Ciel said. "Alois?"

Alois stood there looking nervous. A look on his face that seemed to scream please don't. Ciel sighed. Of course he wasn't going to say anything… "Luka…"

Luka looked up at him a smile on his face what seemed permanently stuck there. His eyes wide and expecting, an expecting child without a care in the world, Ciel reached up ruffling his hair. "Your brother wants you to have the last ice-cream..."

"Okay!" he cheered jumping to his feet he ran into the kitchen.

"You have to tell him soon," Ciel said sighing placing his hands in his pocket.

"When I think of something, I'll tell him…" Alois explained.

They followed Luka back to the living room just as he was closing the fridge door. Alois suddenly got a questioning look on his face and he walked over to the fridge opening. The light was on, it was cold inside. "Hhmm…"

"What?" Ciel asked.

"This fridge is fucking magic," he suddenly said smiling looking back to Ciel.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, the electricity is off. Though the fridge is still running…"

"It's gotta be hooked to a generator or something," Ciel explained. "Anyway, don't we have more important things to think about?"

"Right…" he said sighing.

"I think it's magic," Luka said smiling.

"Oh it is," said a voice from the door. Sebastian was standing there smiling. A person was draped over his shoulder looking almost like they were passed out. "We liked winter so much we stuffed it in our fridge so no matter what the season and no matter if we have electricity or not it will always be winter in there."

"Wow," Luka said smiling. "Is that man alright?"

"Yea, he's just… being him…" he said helping the man over to the couch letting him fall lightly upon it.

"Who is this?"

"Grell," Sebastian said. "He's my customer but he's had a little too much to drink so I'm going to let him sleep it off here."

Ciel checked his watch, certain it couldn't be late already, and it wasn't. "What is he doing being wasted this time of day?"

"We were playin' a shot game. I won," he explained.

"Bassey!" the red head groaned.

He walked around sitting beside him where he patted his head to get his attention. "You want some water?"

"Ughh…"

He sat up grabbing Sebastian's jacket pulling himself just high enough to kiss him. Both Ciel and Alois' mouths fell open as they watched Sebastian kiss him back. Alois' hand immediately covered Luka's eyes.

"Excuse me," Ciel snapped avoiding watching. When they didn't stop Ciel said it a little louder. "Excuse me!"

Grell flung one arm over Sebastian's shoulder glaring at him. "Oh go away you little brat, me and Bassey are having a good time…"

"Ugh," Ciel scoffed. "If you're going to do that kind of stuff can't you do it in private?"

Sebastian shrugged, "It's no big deal."

"Why are you making out with him anyway?"

"Because Bassey and I are madly and passionately in love!" Grell said his face slightly flushed from being drunk.

Sebastian grabbed the back of his head shoving his face into the sofa cushion. "He's my customer for the day as I said. So I have to take care of him."

"…"

Ciel didn't seem to be understanding so Sebastian rephrased. "He paid me for my company so I have to satisfy his needs."

"Okay," Alois said suddenly picking Luka up into his arms. "I think it's time we go find something to do…"

"Claude has some board games in his the hall closet, you can play them in his room if you want," Sebastian said.

"…"

Ciel had taken a seat across from them looking annoyed but at the same time interested. "He's paid you for your company?"

"Yup," Sebastian said smiling, he was eyeing Ciel. "You look annoyed."

"How much does he pay you?"

"Quite a bit."

"Bassey this kid is annoying, let's go somewhere else…" Grell said bringing his head looking hopeful. This Grell guy looked like a crazy cosplay freak. He had on a red wig, overly bright green eye contacts, fake lashes. Given some big shoes and a nose that squeaked he could have passed for a clown.

"He even calls you by that name?" Ciel sighed and eyebrow raised.

"Well, when you're selling your company you let them call you whatever they want," Sebastian explained. Clearly Sebastian wasn't drunk, but it was clear he had had something to drink. He was acting a little too happy.

"Those Chinese girls referred to you with that name too."

"Aw, if you're feeling left out you can call me Bassey too," Sebastian said smiling.

"Hell no!" Ciel snapped feeling his face go slightly red. As if he would use such a kiddish name for him.

"What do you do?" Ciel asked even as this Grell guy was whining and pulling on Sebastian's sleeve like a little kid.

"Hum? Do?"

"Selling your company. What does that entail?"

"Oh the usual, talking, kissing, touching, the occasional uses of toys for an additional price," he explained watching Ciel's expression. He had been looking forward to watching the kid's face light up like a tomato perhaps even scoff at the idea. Sebastian wasn't exactly a saint and he had a slightly sadistic side to him that always came into play whenever… well whenever he was bored really… It's one of the reason's he liked Grell as a customer so much. Because Grell let him do just about whatever he wanted to do to him and yet paid him to do it as well.

He noticed an expression of something like recognition streak across Ciel's face. "Why you so interested?"

"Bassey! Let's go! C'mon…" Grell complained. "You said coming back here would be fun…"

Ciel pondered the idea. He could do that. It seemed easy enough. Spend time with someone, kiss them a little. Let them have a little bit of fun. Then get paid. Nothing could be quicker or easier.

"You're drunk just sleep it off for a little bit. I won't even charge you for that time," he said shoving the pillow at him. "Sleep, I'll wake you up in an hour."

"I paid for five hours Bassey…"

"I know, you'll get it. Now go to sleep," he snapped getting slightly annoyed now.

"I want to do that," Ciel said suddenly causing Sebastian to turn to him.

"Do what?" he asked.

"What were we just talking about?! That! That sell your company stuff. I want to do that."

Sebastian began laughing, not loudly or obscenely but it was no less insulting to Ciel who glared at him. "I'm serious!"

"That's cute kid, but why don't you just focus on NOT getting into trouble."

"I can do it," Ciel said. "It's the quickest and easiest way that I'll be able to pay my share of rent and get the things I need."

"You're a kid," Sebastian said. "Look don't worry about it. Claude and I will pay for whatever you need."

"No way, I'm not a child who needs to be taken care of. I'll make my own living and I'll buy the things I need."

Sebastian chuckled. "Do you realize what you're saying?"

"I'm fine with it, that's how I'm going to make the money I need to make. Besides, you seem to be doing just fine," he said. "How much do you make exactly…"

"Enough," he answered.

"I need to know exactly how much so I can budget."

"No I mean enough. You're not doing this type of work and that's final," Sebastian said getting to his feet. Grell rolled over in grogginess not noticing he had walked away.

"Hmpf, you don't have a right to tell me what to do. Besides, I'm not asking your permission," Ciel spat following him into the kitchen. "I don't need to know exactly, just a ballpark."

Sebastian grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and turned to him. "So, you'd be fine with letting strangers touch and kiss you?"

"It's not like it's hard," Ciel frowned wondering why Sebastian was still on that.

"You are such a child," Sebastian said eyeing him.

"Don't call me that," he spat. Feeling more and more annoyed the longer their conversation was going on. "Whatever if you don't wanna tell me I'll just figure it out another way."

Sebastian remained silent.

"Fine," Ciel snapped turning having his wrist caught in Sebastian's grip suddenly and he was pulled into Sebastian, his back against his chest. His right arm pulled and held behind him. Sebastian's free hand cupped his chin so his head would be still.

"Imagine, someone this close to you," he said whispering in his ear. "Touching you, kissing you. Having to stay still for sake of your payment. You're fine with that?"

"Why are you so against me making a living?" Ciel snapped.

"Ugh," Sebastian sighed releasing him. "I'm not against you making a living; I'm against you doing this kind of job. It's not something a kid should be doing. You don't understand just how horrible it could be, or how much trouble one can get into. Besides if you get caught it's our head not yours."

"Whatever if I get caught I won't mention you."

"You're a troublesome little brat aren't you?" he said glaring.

* * *

Sebastian left shortly after with Grell, and avoided answering his question completely. Claude had been cleaning downstairs most of the day. He came upstairs for a short break before he returned to bartend at about 8 o'clock. Neither Claude or Sebastian got home for the night until about one in the morning.

They both looked tired upon coming in. Alois and Ciel had decided to wait up for them with a flash light sitting in the center of the table. Making it look like they were having an odd sort of séance.

"You're still up?" Claude asked.

"We need to talk," Ciel said. "We both agreed we don't want to stay here if we can't help out and we both figured the best and easiest way to make the kind of money we'd need to help you guys out is to sell our company like Sebastian does."

Claude glared in Sebastian's direction. "Should have known your dealings had something to do with this…"

"It's not my fault," Sebastian sighed taking a seat at the table.

"Look, it's fine. We don't mind working extra to take care of you guys."

"Well," Sebastian said as Claude kicked him under the table to get him to shut up.

"We talked about it," Ciel said. "We both agreed we wouldn't mind."

Claude glanced over to Alois. "You agreed too?"

"…yeah…" he nodded.

"So you left one life of being abused just to come to another one?" Clause asked eyeing him.

"We're not going to be having sex," Ciel explained calmly as if they were discussing how to make toast. "It's just fooling around for money."

"No, it's completely out of the question," Claude said.

"We're not asking," Ciel said. "We need something, and we're doing what we have to in order to get it."

"Alois?" Claude asked turning to him looking concerned.

"It's fine," Alois said. "I have to think about Luka after all, besides we're not going far. It's just fooling around."

"We'd thought we tell you since this is your place and you're letting us stay. Though if you say we can't we already decided to leave."

"Now wait just a minute…" Claude began.

"Please Claude," Alois said looking worried. "This way I can try to save up for Luka's future too."

"…"

"If this has to happen then Sebastian and I are going to regulate it," Claude explained. "You'll get in too much trouble if it's just the two of you."

"Wait what?" Ciel frowned.

"You heard me. Whatever is done happens here and only if either Sebastian or I are here. That way if things get out of hand there will be someone there to help you. That way we'll also be able to ensure that they pay."

"Wait, that's making it sound like you'll be our pimps," Ciel snapped.

"Well, nice pimps," Sebastian pointed out smiling.

"What the hell is a nice pimp?" Ciel looked rather upset.

"That's the deal kid, take it or leave it," Sebastian said.

"…"  
"I accept," Alois said. He actually would feel safer if someone was there when this was occurring. Ciel on the other hand was feeling like he was being babysat and it didn't sit well with him. Claude looked over at him.

"Well?" he asked. If this had to happen it really was the best option…

"Fine," Ciel groaned.

* * *

"We can't let them do this," Claude said about an hour after Ciel and Alois had gone to bed.

"Don't worry," Sebastian said smiling. "Alois knows how terrible that kind of life can be so it won't take much to persuade him back. As for Ciel, I'm going to bring him a customer tomorrow that will make not want to go through with it."

"You're not going to have someone hurt him are you?" Claude asked. Even through the darkness Sebastian could tell Claude was glaring at him.

"Of course not, what kind of guy do you take me for? I'm just going to scare him a little. He'll be thinking about a different plan of action by tomorrow afternoon watch what I tell you..."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed.**

**I combined the first four chapters into one because they were all setting up the story so it made more sense to me to put it in one chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

Four Unfortunate Souls

Ch. 2

* * *

That afternoon Sebastian was on his way back to the apartment with Grell attached firmly to his arm appearing quite happy. Sebastian had asked to see him outside a professional setting.

"So where do you want to go?"

"Where do you think we're headed," Sebastian said indicating where with a smile.

"Those brats are there, we won't be able to have any fun if we go to your place. Let's go to mine!"

"No, I need you to do something for me," Sebastian said in such a serious voice that Grell stopped walking to look at him.

"Hhhmmmm?"

"I need you to help me scare Ciel."

"…" he pondered the request for a moment. "Ciel… which brat was that again?"

"The short one."

Grell held his hand out indicating Luka's height.

"Not the shortest one, the one with bluish-grey hair who always has that frown on his face," Sebastian explained.

"Oh him," Grell scoffed. "What do you want me to do dress up as a ghost or something?"

"No, he's claiming he wants to sell his company, and I don't want him to do it. So if we make his first time horrible it'll scare him away from doing it ever again. You understand?"

******"Oh honey, you know I'm not into children they just aren't my thing. But you," he said throwing his arms around Sebastian's shoulders bringing his face really close. "You I could nibble on any day of the week!"

"No this is why we're here. Now c'mon."

"I thought we were on a date, ooh you tricked me Bassey. You asked me out with an ulterior motive!" he snapped.

"That's why the prize for adequately scaring Ciel will be a free date with me lasting four hours. We can go and do whatever you want in that time," Sebastian explained.

"Anything!?" Grell cheered grinning like a kid in a candy store.

"Anything at all."

Grell spun around excitedly. "Alright then Bassey, if it's for you, I'll rape Ciel!"

His eyes widened slightly and Grell started hurrying off to the stairwell up to Sebastian's apartment.

"Whoa, wait hold on," Sebastian snapped grabbing Grells scarf nearly choking him to prevent him from going upstairs.

"What's wrong now?" he spat.

"You're not raping him, you're not hurting him. You're just scaring him. The moment he's starts getting upset you stop," Sebastian ordered. "Got it."

"Sure sure, anything for you Bassey!" he said grinning. "Let's get this over with so we can go play."

With that Grell looped his arm with Sebastian's hurrying upstairs. Grell burst into the apartment cheering rather loudly. "Alright! I'm here for some fun, let's get to it!"

The boys were sitting in the living room on their futons playing what appeared to be a card game. Alois turned around staring at them. "Oh hello Sebastian, welcome home."

"Hello," Sebastian said greeting him before putting his coat on the chair.

"Well, when are we going to get started?" Grell whined.

Sebastian smiled walking over to where Ciel was seated. "Alright Shieru, it's time."

"Time for what?" Ciel asked never once looking up from his cards.

"Well, your job of course."

Ciel looked up at that, glaring in his direction.

"You did say you wanted to start working right. Well Grell has requested an hour of your company," Sebastian explained indicating the red haired man behind him. Ciel's eyes had went from Sebastian's face to Grell's and Grell threw him a short wave.

"Why him?" Ciel snapped clearly annoyed.

"Why anyone else. You wanted a customer, I got you one. If you're not up for it then—," he began.

"Fine," Ciel said throwing down the cards. Both Luka and Alois groaned because his hand had been better than theirs. He got to his feet.

"You can use my bed," Sebastian said indicating his room which was the door along the wall that separated the kitchen and living area.

"How much is he paying?" Ciel asked.

"Six thousand yen for one hour. Not bad money right?" Sebastian asked.

Ciel looked over at Grell again. "It makes no sense, why me?"

"Don't be picky."

"But he's annoying…"

"Well if you're going to refuse your first customer I don't see how you expect to—" Sebastian began only to have Ciel interrupt him.

"I'm not refusing. I was just thinking he should have to pay an annoyance fee or something…" he explained.

"Why you rude little brat!" Grell spat. "As if I'd actually want to—."

Sebastian go up putting a hand on Grells shoulder where he leaned close to his ear, "Remember the prize…"

"Oh well come on," Ciel said walking into Sebastian's room.

It was small, there were books and a dresser. What was odd was the bed. It was a huge bed and this bed took up much of the space in the room. It looked so oddly out of place considering the room's size. He walked over sitting down on it. It was slightly firm as he would have expected. Sleeping on a futon the last few days made him miss his bed at home which was so soft it almost felt like you had fallen asleep on a puffy cloud. He liked soft things. The softer the better.

Grell walked in a few seconds behind him smiling. "Well. Let's have our fun then shall we?"

Ciel raised an eyebrow as Grell closed the door and walked over to him. "Well now. Don't you look… Dreadful! What is with that frown!?"

He suddenly pinched Ciel's cheek. "If I'm your customer you should smile when you greet me. Be more like Bassey!"

"Let go!" Ciel snapped hitting his hand away.

"My you're going to yell at me. After I'm paying to be with you?" he said leaning so close to Ciel's face he was forced to lean back slightly.

"Well you don't have to pinch me…" Ciel snapped.

"Since I'm paying for you, technically I can do whatever I want now can't I? Though Sebastian did have a nothing below the belt rule.

"I'm not wearing a belt."

"…" Grell glared at him. It was his turn to frown. "I don't know if you're stupid or just joking."

"Neither," Ciel snapped back. "You're not being direct…"

"You want me to be direct huh…" Grell said cheerfully suddenly pushing Ciel down and climbing on top of him. "I can't be much more direct with you than this now can I. Uh…"

He blinked. Ciel's face was quite impassive. He neither looked surprised or upset though he did seem slightly embarrassed about having Grell on top of him like this. "Ugh, seriously kid. If you want customers to take you seriously you're going to have to show a wider range of emotions and expressions. That look is so unsexy, can't you be more like Bassey or if nothing else _try_ to look appealing and cute. No one is going to want to kiss you with a look like that on your face…"

_A look like what_, Ciel thought. He was just laying here. He suddenly folded his arms placing a finger to his lip. _Look cute… look cute? How was he supposed to look cute. He wasn't sure what would constitute as cute._

At a time like this he thought of his cousin. Everyone seemed to tell Lizzy she was cute, and when he was younger he had been called cute by the adults at parties on more than one occasion. What actually made him and Lizzy cute then. Probably the age was a factor. Luka seemed to do tons of cute things all the time. Lets see… what did Luka, Lizzy and himself at a younger age all have in common. He thought about it, large eyes for one, their voices would have me younger sounding more high pitch. Not to the point of being comical but softer than his voice was now. Not that his voice was particularly deep but he could make it sound softer he supposed…

"Ugh, don't ignore your customers either! How annoying. Pay attention to me," Grell snapped suddenly grabbing Ciel's wrists and pinning them on either side of his head. Ciel winced. Not out of pain, but more out of surprise from his sudden movement. Ciel turned his head slowly opening his eyes wide, he looked up at Grell…

…and Grell blinked. Ciel was adorable in this pose. His hair slightly messy, face a tiny bit flushed (which was probably the result of the sudden surprise of Grell's last action), from being pushed onto the bed his shirt had rose up just slightly showing a small sliver of his pale stomach. With eyes slightly wide yet uncharacteristically soft he spoke in a light voice, "I'm sorry, do as you please with me."

Grell felt his face begin to burn from the adorableness he didn't know Ciel had.

* * *

After Grell and Ciel and gone into Sebastian's bedroom Alois turned to him. "I thought Grell liked you?" he said softly.

"He does," Sebastian said taking a seat on the sofa.

"Then why did he want to uh… play with Ciel?" he asked adding the play because Luka was still in the room currently having fun trying to build a house from what was previously their card game.

"Yea, well. I'm having Grell scare Ciel outta this whole nonsense. He should be giving up any time soon…"

Alois frowned. "Isn't that mean?"

"Oh well, what's done is done," he said and putting a finger to his lips he whispered. "Don't tell."

"Sebastian…" Alois sighed. He didn't understand how serious the two of them were about it. Unfortunately this sort of job was necessary right now…

"It's fine, any minute Ciel's going to—"

Suddenly the door burst open. Sebastian was just thinking that that was quicker than he thought when Grell walked through the door looking thoroughly upset. "You're in a whole lot of trouble Bassey, that's all I gotta say!"

With that (still fuming) he marched out of the apartment and was gone. Ciel walked out of the room looking confused.

Sebastian blinked. What could have happened? Ciel lightly tapped the back of Sebastian's head. "Well, you said you were my pimp right? Next time you see him get my money and charge him for the full time since he was the one who left early. Go ahead and keep it, you can put it towards my rent."

He walked back over to Alois and Luka. "So what are we playing now?"

Sebastian couldn't help but glare in Ciel's direction throughout the entire game. He just sent Grell running for the hills. Grell who was perhaps the dirtiest, kinkiest thought man he had ever known. Ciel huh… Grell had clearly (if only for a moment) been attracted to him. What was it? He watched the boy during the game of go fish. Since Luka had barely understood their last game of poker this was easier for him to get.

Indeed Ciel was studying his opponents. Simple game or not he was no less determined to win. His eyes scanned the expressions of Alois and Luka. Luka was easier than a book with large print to read, but Alois was a little more tricky…

He felt Sebastian's eyes on him and he turned. "What?" he glared.

"Nothing," Sebastian said getting to his feet he went into the kitchen to watch him from afar. Okay, so Ciel was clearly cute. He had soft hair (at least from what the Chinese girls at Lau's place said).His eyes (well for the moment eye) was blue. A foreign color, an exotic shape, something rare like a blue diamond. He wasn't sure exactly why but Ciel was… interesting… He supposed if this is what Ciel wanted to do then it couldn't hurt to let him do it. Worst case scenario he could always be the one who dried Ciel's tears when his pain had gone past what he could bare. It seemed the sadistic side of him was already bored and looking for fun.

* * *

The following day Claude and Sebastian happened to be free during the day so when they woke up they found Claude and Sebastian sitting at the table talking. Ciel sat up he reached up to scratch his eye only to be reminded of the bandage. He sighed getting to his feet he walked into the bathroom. He slowly unwrapped the bandage and opened his eye. It appeared red and everything still looked a little fuzzy. Though it seemed to be slightly better than the other day when Sebastian had helped him change it. He grabbed the first aid kit and put a new bandage on it. A few more days and it should be fine...

Though he had a more pressing matter at hand.

Feeling rather… upset that he even had to ask he walked up to Claude and Sebastian.

"Um…" he said softly attempting to politely interrupt their conversation.

Claude looked over at him. "Good morning."

"Morning, um…"

Sebastian couldn't help but smile, Ciel was looking nervous about something and he couldn't help but find it cute.

"Could I borrow some money?"

"What for?" Sebastian asked.

"I wanna buy some clothes," Ciel said looking away slightly.

Sebastian thought about it. Well, they hadn't had a change of clothes since the boys had arrived. Come to think of it. They had literally come with just the clothes on their backs. They didn't have any essentials, and for some reason Sebastian felt a bit guilty for that, especially for not thinking about it…

"We'll take you guys shopping today," Claude said frowning slightly. Apparently he had felt slightly guilty about it to.

"I'll pay you back as soon as—," he began.

"Don't worry about it," Sebastian said getting to his feet ruffling Ciel's hair as he walked past him. "Want some ramen?"

Ugh ramen… That's pretty much all he had been eating since he got here. He was so sick of ramen…

"No thanks," Ciel said. Despite what Sebastian said he would pay him back. He already had a bit of money going towards his rent for being here and it was Sebastian's job to get that from Grell despite what a fiasco their little meeting had been.

"Wha!" Luka yawned sitting up. His hair a mess. He looked over at them blinking.

Sebastian threw him a smile, "Good morning Chibi," he said.

Without responding he fell back onto his pillow apparently asleep once again.

"That kid sure is carefree isn't he?" Claude commented before walking over to where Alois and Luka were laying. He shook Luka's shoulder lightly. "Oi, chibi wake up. It's breakfast time."

"You too—," he had reached out to lightly shake Alois away but stopped at the sight of him. He had rolled over groaning slightly hugging his pillow like it was a person and even whispered something in French that he hadn't quite caught.

For the most part they spoke English in the apartment because Luka knew very little. Though now and then they would say sentences in Japanese to try to get Luka to catch on. From Alois' and Luka's accents it seemed French had been their first language, and they had probably learned English in grade school. Alois knew Japanese fairly well but wasn't quite at a native fluency. Claude had wondered how Alois had come to the decision of learning Japanese but he hadn't asked for fear of seeming as though he were prying.

Alois looked so cute lying there that he left it to his (now awake) brother to get him up.

Come to think of it, they knew very little about these boys' lives. Which was another thing they should probably be rectifying as soon as possible because how could they expect to help them if they hardly knew anything about them.

On top of all that it seemed this "selling company," thing was actually going to happen despite Claude's protest. Yesterday Sebastian's so called plan had fallen through and now his roommate was acting as though he were completely fine with the boys doing this. Claude wasn't. It was all just a big hassle which was only going to lead to trouble. This wasn't just an assumption, it was a guarantee. You couldn't be in that type of business without getting into trouble.

When Alois and Luka were fully awake Claude gave them some ramen noodles which he had warmed up using the microwave downstairs. Ciel was refusing to eat claiming he wasn't hungry, even though they knew he had to be.

After breakfast they all got ready to head to the mall. It was time for shopping!

* * *

**It was brought to my attention that I kept spelling Luka's name two different ways. After looking into it I find his name to be most commonly spelled Luka, rather than Luca. I'm going to do my best to not make the mistake of switching spellings.**

****The line Grell says here was a line from one of the Kuroshitsuji OVA's. I found it so silly and so like Grell I just had to include it here. XP I gotta say, when I first started watching Kuroshitsuji I didn't like Grell, but after more and more episodes he grew on me. Now he's so fun to watch and hilarious to write.**


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